The Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority on New Falls Road in Bristol Township.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
An extensive investigation by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and the Bucks County Detectives into the handling of finances at the Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (LBCJMA) will not lead to charges.
As LevittownNow.com exclusively reported earlier this year, authorities were looking into allegations that a former finance department employee for the public water service that serves more than 65,000 people in Levittown received as much as $26,399 in extra pay over the course of their employment, which began in 2007 ended in 2014.
The investigation conducted by Eric Landamia, a detective with the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, found the LBCJMA had lax oversight and higher-ups signed sheets approving the over payments. It was determined by law enforcement that LBCJMA Managing Director Vijay Rajput signed forms without reviewing them that allowed for the former employee to receive payouts not included in the employment agreement.
A screenshot of a portion of the second audit.
District Attorney David Heckler said that while the employee appeared to receive money they shouldn’t have from the LBCJMA, the action was not criminal. He also said key evidence in the investigation was destroyed when the LBCJMA switched vendors for their payroll accounting system. If the detective was able to view the data from the payroll system, the allegation that information was tamped with could be further investigated.
“This is a fine civil case but not criminal,” he said. The district attorney added the situation was “certainly a case of mismanagement.”
Sources have said that two audits of the LBCJMA’s finances were conducted. One audit by a Langhorne law firm and the other by Barbagallo and Associates of Yardley. A copy of the second audit was obtained and reviewed late last year by LevittownNow.com.
The attorney for the former employee said the audits did not paint a full picture and implied the employee was being defamed. She also stated the employee had previously filed a discrimination claim against the LBCJMA, which serves residents in parts of Bristol Township, Falls Township, Middletown and Tullytown.
When reached by cell phone in January, the former employee, who has since moved out of state, said the allegations were not true.
According to LBCJMA Board of Directors meeting minutes from February 28, 2015, a forensic audit was set to be submitted by Downey to the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission and the Pennsylvania Municipal Pension System for review.
The investigation came up when former Bristol Township Council member Troy Brennan spoke out about the investigation at last week’s council meeting.
Heckler said he sent a letter about the matter to both Rajput, solicitor James Downey and the LBCJMA board.
“It would be better in the future if [the LBCJMA] has such a problem to let us know immediately,” Heckler said.
The post No Charges Following Investigation Of Lower Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority appeared first on LevittownNow.com.